


Christmas Spirit

by broadway_and_burbank



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, let's make this a dark christmas y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 16:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17084156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_and_burbank/pseuds/broadway_and_burbank
Summary: Newlyweds Kristoff and Anna decide to spend the days before Christmas in an idyllic, historic house left by a distant relative. However, it’s not long before the beautiful Victorian's dark past begins to threaten their present.





	Christmas Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> Secret Santa gift for welcometotheninetiesmrbanks on tumblr!
> 
> Loosely based on the short story Dark Christmas by Jeanette Winterson (only idk how to make things short lmao)

Anna laughed as her Christmas Playlist repeated for the third time and Kristoff let out a dramatic groan.

“Seriously, Anna?” he asked, glancing at her for a second before focusing his gaze back on the road.

“What?” she asked innocently, grinning at him from the passenger seat. “It’s Christmas! Get in the spirit!”

“You’ve been in the spirit scene November. And it’s not actually Christmas for another four days so there’s still have plenty of time to get Christmassy.”

“Don’t be such a Grinch! Besides, Sven doesn’t seem to mind.” Anna smiled at the dog in the back seat, who gave a happy bark.

“That’s because Sven can’t remember the first two times it played.”

“This is like, the fourth year in a row – you should be used to it by now. It’s practically tradition!”

Whenever they went on the six hour drive from the city to Kristoff’s parent’s house, it had been unofficially decided that Anna was always the DJ – and during Christmas, she took that title _very_ seriously.

“Yeah, but...” Keeping his eyes on the road, Kristoff grabbed her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. “Maybe it’s time to start some new traditions, don’t you think?” He smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, giving it a quick kiss before lowering it again, but didn’t let go.

Anna watched as her rings sparkled in the setting sun, a light, feathery feeling in her chest.

The wedding had been in September, but sometimes she still couldn’t believe they were actually _married._

She shrugged lightly, laughter bubbling up from her chest. “I guess you’re right! How does _Elf the musical_ sound?”

“Christmas playlist it is, then.”

Anna giggled again, but looked down at their entwined hands and thought for a moment.

Ever since she began dating Kristoff, he’d taken her and Elsa up to spend the Holidays with his family. While the sisters were always grateful for each other, they’d missed the feeling of being surrounded by family, and the Bjorgmans had immediately taken them in as their own.

This year would be even better though, because now Anna was officially a Bjorgman herself.

And something else happened in the past few months. Something rather strange.

Her great aunt died.

Neither Anna or Elsa really knew her – Anna could only recall meeting her once – and they didn’t hear of a funeral or memorial in her honor.

The only reason they even found out she’d passed was because some lawyer contacted them about her will. For some reason unbeknownst to them, she left Elsa her house.

Elsa had gone up to check out the place in November and really liked it. It wasn’t too out of the way of the route to their usual Christmas destination, so she suggested they spend a few days there before the holiday.

Anna was quick to agree, so she and Kristoff set out a bit earlier than usual to get acquainted with the house before going to his parent’s place on Christmas day.

Elsa still had to work, so she would meet them by train the day after they got there, and while Anna thought it was a perfect plan, she still felt bad about disrupting an actual holiday tradition of theirs.

“But seriously, Kristoff?” she asked, turning the music off. “Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?”

“What? Listening to this again? I mean, I guess I’ll live.”

“No, I mean changing up our plans this year. We still have time to call Elsa and just go straight to your parents’ if you’d prefer.”

“Anna,” he squeezed her hand lightly. “I promise, this is fine. I’m actually kind of excited. I think it’ll be nice to spend a few days in peace before the ambush hits.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, we’re going to have to tell them all about the new apartment and – oh! – everything about the honeymoon-”

“Well, not _everything._ ”

Anna caught his eye for moment and smiled. She struggled against the belt and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m excited too. I love you, Kristoff.”

“I love you, Anna.”

Sven gave a jarring bark from the back seat and pawed at Anna’s arm.

“I think somebody misses the music!”

Kristoff groaned again as Anna turned it back on and looked out the window at the snowy world passing by.

It was another few hours before they reached the house.

It was past nine, so the word was pitch black, but the headlights of the truck illuminated a rundown sign hanging just outside the property, simply reading: _Hansson House._

Hidden between a small forest of trees, a lengthy dirt road as the only access, and forty-five minutes away from the closest town, the place was isolated. Anna realized why she probably never heard from her great aunt – the house seemed completely cut off from civilization.

There was a run-down carriage house only about twenty feet away from the house with a large, rusted padlock chained around the handles of the rotting wood doors. But the old Victorian, especially covered in a new blanket of snow, looked _beautiful._

Kristoff pulled his truck up the long drive and parked a few feet away from the front door. Anna grabbed her bag and all but jumped out of the car, extremely excited to get a closer look.

The key Elsa had given her had practically burned a hole in her pocket, and she ran up the wooden steps to the looming double door.

“Anna,” Kristoff called out, stepping out of the truck. “You wanna help bring some of this stuff in first?”

Anna made sure they brought a Christmas tree tied in the back of the truck and practically filled the vehicle to the brim with decorations because if they were celebrating Christmas, it was going to be festive, dammit. Kristoff had made sure to actually get provisions in town before they arrived, informing Anna that no, the _three_ boxes of Oreo’s she brought wasn’t going to cut it.

So there was plenty to unload…but she just wanted a quick look around first.

“In a minute!” she promised, sliding the key into the lock and opening the rather heavy, red door.

The thermostat was in the front hall, so after flipping the light switch and turning the heat up to a comfortable temperature, Anna began to explore the house.

Although it was old (Elsa had told her just how old, but Anna honestly wasn’t paying much attention and couldn’t remember), it had been renovated multiple times, adding all modern amenities, but still keeping the feeling of a classic Victorian – even if all the furniture was from the late 70s.

She ran through the first floor, going through the kitchen and scullery and the different parlors. A spiral staircase lead to the second floor, where she ended up in a hallway lined with doors.

Anna looked through every door, finding a bedroom, bathroom, linen closet, another bedroom, and –

She nearly slammed her face into the last door in the hall. She pushed it like the rest, but it wouldn’t budge. Even after jiggling the handle and shoving it with her shoulder multiple times, it wouldn’t move.

And unlike the others – all of which had at least slightly new paint – that door was chipped and peeling. It seemed like no one had touched it for years.

She bent down to see if she could look through the key hole, but it was too small to see anything besides black.

Anna decided to leave it be – for now – and choose a room for the two of them.

The bedroom next to the locked door was the bigger of the two open rooms, so she threw her bag and coat on the iron-framed bed.

“Anna!”

She ran back down to the kitchen, seeing Kristoff’s arms filled with groceries while Sven jumped around him.

The couple had eaten a quick dinner in town before they arrived, but Sven hadn’t, so he was pulling his usual stunt of acting like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“I gotta feed Sven,” Kristoff said, putting the paper bags down on the counter. “Can you grab the rest of the groceries from the car?”

“Can _you_ get the groceries and I’ll feed Sven?”

Kristoff gave her an extremely unamused look.

“You still have your coat on! I threw mine upstairs and it’s cold.”

He rolled his eyes, but crossed over to her and kissed her forehead. “You’re so lucky you’re cute.”

“I love you!” she said as he left to head back outside.

“Yeah, yeah.” But he poked his head back in the room before disappearing again. “I love you, too.”

Anna smiled and fed Sven, laughing at his pathetic attempts to inhale the entire bowl into his mouth. She put out water for him and started unpacking the grocery bags, realizing that maybe Kristoff was right about the Oreo’s.

After a few minutes, she went out to the front hall to see what was taking him so long, and saw all the groceries and boxes of decorations stacked up.

He’d brought everything in, even the Christmas mess, and was by the truck, lifting the tree out of the back.

God, she loved that man.

She made sure to hold the door open as he dragged it back to the house, leaving a trail through the snow.

He brought it inside and leaned it against the door before he took off his coat, leaving on his dark sweatshirt. Anna kissed his cold cheek. “Thank you.”

Kristoff blushed – she loved how easily she could make him do that – and smiled down at her. “Of course.”

They brought the tree and its stand into the front parlor where Anna wanted to put it, and set it up fairly quickly, returning to the front hall to take the rest of the food to the kitchen.

“I’m just gonna text Elsa to tell her we made it,” Anna said as Kristof began putting things away. She grabbed his bag from the hall and went back upstairs to get her phone.

Her bag had apparently tipped over onto the floor, so she just placed Kristoff’s bag next to hers. She grabbed her phone and left the room, taking another glance at the locked door before she went back down.

When she checked her phone, there wasn’t _any_ service.

“There’s no service here,” she said as she re-entered the kitchen.

“Yeah, Elsa told us that.” Kristoff turned back to her from his previous position by the fridge.

“ _No,_ she said there was ‘ _like_ no service’ here, not that there _literally_ isn’t any.” Anna turned around and held her phone up, seeing if she could get a signal, but quickly felt Kristoff’s arms wrap around her from the back.

“I think it’s nice,” he said into her ear, and Anna put the phone down on the counter, immediately relaxing into his embrace. “This way no one can distract us.” He kissed behind her ear and Anna felt her skin tingle.

“But what if Elsa needs something?” But she honestly wasn’t too worried – it was hard to be when he was so close.

“We know what time her train comes tomorrow; its fine. Right now, it’s just you and me. And once I finish up in here, we can get the night started.” This time, he just kissed the tip of her ear and Anna sighed.

“Kri – oh, um, I think Sven has something in his mouth.”

“Shit – Sven!” He let go of her to the detriment of them both, and struggled with the animal to get whatever he food he stole out of his mouth.

Anna shook her head at the display, but smiled lovingly and went back into the hall to get a few of the boxes. She went to the front parlor and looked around the too-sparse room, knowing it was where they needed to decorate.

She grabbed her speaker from one of the boxes and set it on a side table, plugging her phone in and choosing her Christmas Playlist. A pop version of ‘Santa Baby’ played through the room. After a minute or so, she heard Kristoff laugh behind her and smiled as she saw him bring in the rest of the decorations.

“You’re ridiculous,” he said as he set the boxes down.

“But you love me.”

“You’re ridiculous _and_ I love you. No ‘buts’ about it. Except maybe yours.”

Anna just grinned at him as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a soft, teasing kiss. She laughed as she pulled away and heard him groan. “Nice try – but first we decorate. And then…we’ll see.” She winked at him, then let him go so she could open a box.

“You’re going to be the absolute _death_ of me.”

“And I thought I was the dramatic one.”

“Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”

Anna pulled out a garland and wrapped it around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her and laughing. “Too bad I can’t rub the Christmas spirit into you.”

“Keep doing this and I’m sure I’ll get there.”

Anna rolled her eyes, but kissed his nose. “Get to decorating, mister.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Anna gasped as ‘Run Rudolph Run’ came on the speaker, then squealed. “I _love_ this song! Okay, let’s get started!”

Kristoff didn’t complain as he smiled and removed the garland from his shoulders, going to place it over the mantle.

Anna danced and alternated between adorning every surface with bottlebrush tress and snowmen, telling Kristoff to _stop_ staring at her because those lights wouldn’t hang themselves, and putting up mini wreaths and swags along the walls.

She had always been _very_ meticulous when it came to decorating for Christmas, so it was only a miraculous forty-five minutes until they were finished.

The playlist ended as Kristoff went back outside to get all the firewood from the truck and place it next to the hearth inside, with Anna wrapping another bundle of lights around the tree.

She wanted to wait to fully decorate the tree for when Elsa got there, so an unopened box of ornaments sat near it.

Anna stepped back and put her hands on her hips, admiring their handiwork. “Oh, Kristoff, it looks wonderful!”

“Yeah,” Kristoff said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “You want me to start a fire?”

“Definitely!”

Anna left him at the fireplace and went back to the kitchen, grabbing drinks for the two of them.

Sven was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was probably off exploring.

By the time she came back with a beer and wine glass in hand, a fire was blazing, the lights were off, and the room flickered, aided by twinkling fairy lights.

Kristoff was waiting for her on the couch, and Anna joined him, handing him the beer and giving him a kiss on the cheek as she curled up next to him.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bjorgman.”

Anna took a sip of her wine and looked up at him over the rim of the glass. He knew what it did to her when he called her that, but he nonchalantly took a sip of his own drink as if he didn’t just set her insides on fire.

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Bjorgman,” she said, then licked the excess liquid off her now red-stained lips as she gazed up at him. She could tell by the dark look in his eyes, her response gave him a similar feeling. “I forgot to unpack something.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mm-hmm.” She leaned over him and placed her glass on the side table, slowly dragging her hand across his chest as she pulled back. She felt him shiver. “Give me a second.” Anna slid off the couch and headed across the room, hearing the telling clink of Kristoff putting his own drink on the table.

She purposefully bent over to open the box of ornaments and grinned at the little plant she hid inside.

She stood up and turned back to Kristoff, stepping in front of the fire and showing off the mistletoe in her hand. “I couldn’t figure out where to put it.” Anna bit her lip in what she hoped was a suggestive way and took another step closer to him.

Kristoff immediately scrambled off the couch, taking two wide steps to join her by the fire, pulling her flush against him. “I can think of a few ideas,” he mumbled as he leaned down to speak against her ear.

Now it was Anna’s turn to shiver as she wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing the mistletoe across his skin.

He gently pulled down the collar of her turtleneck and placed soft kisses against her throat. “Merry almost Christmas, baby.”

“Merry almost Christmas, Kris.” Anna felt her knees go weak, so she pushed her body closer to his and gave a soft kiss against his jaw. “I have a gift for you.”

Kristoff pulled back and the look in his eyes made Anna’s heart pound in her chest.

“Do I get to open my present early?”

“That depends.” Anna forgot about the mistletoe and let it fall to the floor, deciding to use both her hands to play with the hair on his nape. “Have you been good?”

“Well, _that_ depends,” Kristoff grinned, slipping his fingers under the hem of her sweater and softly brushing her skin. “Do you want me to be?”

Anna had barely shaken her head before Kristoff’s grip tightened and he picked her up off the floor, leaving her to scream and laugh as he practically tossed her on the couch and climbed over her.

The low growl coming from his throat sent a jolt straight between Anna’s legs and she bucked her hips up, brushing against his and moaning as he went back to her neck, biting harder than before.

“I’ve waited all day for this,” he said, gripping her sides tightly in his grasp and kissing up her jaw.

“Mm, well the actual present is upstairs in my bag, I-” Anna gasped when he gently bit her ear. “I should change into it.”

Kristoff pulled back to look at her, keeping his hips against hers. “Do you know how sexy you are? Don’t change a damn thing.”

“I’m just wearing a sweater and leggings.” But Anna felt her body heat up and realized she didn’t have the patience to go up and change anyway.

“Yeah, and you have no idea how many times I nearly pulled over on the drive here to fuck you in the car, so…”

“Kristoff!” Anna laughed and pulled him back in, kissing him playfully. “You’d really do that with Sven right there?”

“Eh, he could turn around.” He grinned and pulled the collar down again, lavishing the other side of her neck.

She giggled and turned her head, allowing him more access, the fire burning behind her half-closed lids. “Where is Sven, anyway?” she asked as she realized (although she was glad) the dog wasn’t with them.

“Around here somewhere,” was all Kristoff said before he took her lips in his again.

That was as satisfying an answer as any, so she turned all her attention back to his lips, his hands as one slid under her sweater and cupped one of her breasts as he rolled his hips against hers. Kristoff groaned into her mouth and Anna tried in vain to press herself closer to him.

There was a slight thud from upstairs.

It was quiet enough to not alarm them, but obvious enough to notice.

“Found him,” Kristoff said against her lips, Anna simply humming her response.

She never wanted to stop, but Kristoff pulled back again.

“You said your great aunt never married, right?” he asked curiously.

Anna had no idea why it mattered – she just wanted him to rip her clothes off already – so she raised a brow and shrugged. “Yeah. I think she was a retired nun, why?”

“Oh, in that case…” Kristoff pushed himself off the couch and Anna whined at the loss of his weight, but he suddenly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “I’d say it’s about time we christen one of those beds, what about you?”

Anna shrieked with laughter as his hands found a sturdy grip on her butt and thigh to keep her stable. “Kris!”

He crouched down to pick up the mistletoe off the floor and handed it to Anna behind his back. “I told you I had a few ideas for this thing.”

Anna felt a shiver go through her again and was exceedingly glad he was holding her. She lightly smacked his back with the plant. “Then hurry up and take me upstairs, Mr. Bjorgman!”

“As you wish, Mrs. Bjorgman.” Kristoff squeezed her ass in his hand and all but ran out of the room as she laughed.

“Oh, wait – Kristoff the lights!”

He stopped at the door and sighed, but went around the first floor, closing the fireplace doors and shutting off the lights, all the while never taking her off his shoulder.

He stood in the front hall and got the last light, the only brightness coming down from the second floor bedroom.

“Okay – that’s done. Can we have sex now?”

“ _Please._ ”

Kristoff held her tightly again and nearly sprinted up the stairs, Anna giggling all the way as she directed him to their room and he slammed the door behind them.

\------

Anna woke up to an unknown sound.

She was _not_ a light sleeper – in fact, she usually kicked Kristoff awake at least once a night and it took him about fifteen minutes every morning to even get her up.

But he was sleeping soundly by her side, while a slight noise ripped her from sleep.

At first, Anna was so disoriented that she couldn’t make out what the sound was or where it was coming from. She checked her phone – 3:15 AM – and placed it back on the nightstand, rubbing the screen’s glow from her eyes.

As her eyes shut back into a comfortable darkness, the noise registered again. She realized it was coming from the left, but farther away, like in another room. But the only room to the left was-

Anna sat up, a spike of alarm going down her spine.

The only room to the left of them was the locked one; the one that most definitely didn’t open.

And the sounds drifting from said room were…she still couldn’t decipher them.

It sounded like something rustling. Like pieces of paper or…a skirt?

No, that couldn’t be possible, right? She shook her head, trying to focus.

Then, there was something a bit louder – something that sounded like a step; a heel tapping on the wooden floor.

That was enough to get her to wake Kristoff.

“Kristoff,” she whispered, shoving him the slightest bit. He didn’t move. “ _Kristoff,_ ” she tried again, more forcefully this time.

There was that tap again.

Anna shook her slumbering husband harder, but he only mumbled something in his sleep and barely stirred. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

She heard another sound – scratching. Long nails dragging softly down a wooden surface. Her skin prickled.

She was frustrated that Kristoff wouldn’t get up, but not as frustrated as that unnerving rustling and scraping made her.

Anna carefully slipped out from under the sheets. The room was dark, barely lit by the sliver of white moon in the sky, so she searched around rather blindly until she found Kristoff’s sweatshirt laying on the floor.

She slipped it over her head and slowly walked to the door, pausing each time a board creaked under her feet.

When she opened the door, she looked down the other end of the hall and saw light shining up from the bottom of the staircase.

They had turned the lights off.

She heard a whine and nearly jumped out of her skin until she looked to the left and saw Sven pawing the locked door.

Anna actually smiled, feeling comforted by the fact that something was explained.

Sven’s nails kept scraping off the old paint as he whined and tried to stick his head under the door.

“Hi, buddy,” Anna whispered, making her way over to the animal and stroking his head.

The other sounds stopped.

Again, Anna felt fear run down her back, but she stood, staring at the door. She grabbed the knob and turned it, pushing it forcefully to prove to herself it was locked.

Like before, the door didn’t shift, so she felt a little better.

Sven suddenly got up from his position on the floor and trotted down the hall, turning into her and Kristoff’s room.

Anna was more than glad to have the dog join them and she went back to the room, looking quickly at the light shining from downstairs and talking herself out of going down to investigate.

She closed the door quietly and tiptoed back into bed, curling into Kristoff’s side.

His arm unconsciously pulled her close and Anna felt more at ease.

Sven jumped on the end of the bed and stretched out, nudging her feet with his head.

Anna closed her eyes and listened to Kristoff’s heartbeat, the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling her back to a comfortable sleep.


End file.
